


•inferno•

by jumiinx



Category: No Fandom
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fictional, Fire, Inferno - Freeform, LGBT, M/M, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:14:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24858229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jumiinx/pseuds/jumiinx
Summary: ♤ ♧ ♡ ♢❝𝒹𝑒𝓈𝒾𝓇𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝒹𝓁𝓎❞•••Ezrael West is an ordinary commoner from a poor country, Tairan. More specifically, he is from the city called Naara.One day, on a stroll through Dailah's woods, he meets another boy.Only this one couldn't be more different.Asta Kingston is the prince and heir to Dailah's throne.On his eighteenth birthday, he is crowned king of Dailah, only, he is no where to be found.Nearly two years later, a new threat begins to arise.Lifeless, monotone, almost empty beings begin to flood the cities, ruthlessly setting fire to everything in their path.Larcei Atkinson was a shy girl from The Wastelands. Key word: was.Now, she finds herself being controlled by a larger being, feeling like a puppet being torn at the strings.It's only a matter of time before Dailah finds itself being ripped from the inside.





	1. Chapter 1

Do you know the saying parents say to their children?

"Stranger danger!" 

Now, if that was true, we'd all be alone. We'd be stuck in this world without knowing anyone else other than our family. 

Of course you should be careful around suspicious individuals, obviously. Places like these can be unsafe for vulnerable people. 

I know my parents said it to me every day before I went outside, they'd yell it to be sure I heard, and I always did.

Luckily, there was one day where they didn't. In fact, I'd never heard them be that quiet in years. For once, everything was silent as I crossed the border into Dailah. 

Until a certain someone interrupted that silence. 

-Past-

The nature seemed to surround the young boy as he strode through the forest, confident he'd find the infamous waterfall.  
The boy had never seen such a forest in all his life, the trees seemed to touch the sky, while the flowers had bloomed just for him. 

You see, in Ezrael's country, things were different. In Tairan, the houses were smaller, the markets were filthier, and there were no fairy-tale like forests in the city called Naara.  
That alone made Ezrael decide to cross the border over to Dailah.

As the child searched for the magnificent waterfall, he came across a rock that replicated a flat surface. On the stone were countless notepads surrounded by pencils and watercolors, and on one of the notepads was a striking painting of what looked to be the northern lights. 

He tried not to pry, but curiosity got the better of him as he peeked into the notepads.  
Most of the drawings were portraits, but some of them were intricate paintings of nature, specifically, the waterfall. 

Ezra's skinny fingers found a piece of silk hidden in-between the pages, but as soon as he found it, he let it slip through his fingers, as if it was fire itself. As soon as the scarlet fabric fell onto the stone, he noticed that a name was sewn into the fabric with golden string. 

Asta Kingston.

'An odd name.' The boy thought. Whoever this belonged to, they certainly had money. 

Ezrael frowned at the thought. The golden string is certainly worth something, and his mother and father would be proud of him if he brought it home to sell.  
That's another thing. Folk from Tairan are so accustomed to stealing that it's almost recommended to do so. 

But he was just a little boy, and if he got caught, his parents would hang him as soon as they got the chance. 

It was worth the risk.   
Ezra gently folded the fabric and stuffed it into his ripped pocket, praying it wouldn't fall out on his journey home. 

As the pale boy turned to resume his search, he noticed another boy resting atop a large tree branch, lightly sketching his surroundings. 

A wave of guilt washed over Ezra as he realized he might've seen him steal the fabric.  
When the brunet realized the boy in the tree was observing him, he knew he had to have seen the careless act. 

Instead of yelling at him or chasing him away, the boy in the tree merely climbed down with the small notepad stuffed into his pocket. 

He looked to be around Ezrael's age, but the similarities stopped there. Not only were his clothes fancier, but he was much tanner as well, like he had spent his whole life bathing in the sunshine. 

The tree boy tilted his head with curious eyes, as if he had never seen such a creature before. 

“Your face is sunburnt." Was all he said as he went to drop his drawing next to the others. 

'That's it?' Ezra thought. He could've sworn he saw him steal the silk. 

The shaky feeling subdued, but only for a second, as he noticed the boy was looking at him again. 

"Hello? Are you deaf?" The stranger said, narrowing his eyes at the silent figure. 

"Oh, um, thank you." He said, unable to utter anything else. He couldn't lie, it was likely his whole body was sunburnt. 

The tanned boy raised an eyebrow. "What's your name?" He had never seen such a pale boy before, and his own personal interest had gotten the better of him.

Ezra blinked. Was that it? Did he really not see? 

"Ezrael West, sir." He said with caution.

The child snorted at Ezra's unnecessary manners. "Sir? You're an odd one, Ezrael West."

"Uh..thank you?" The brunet awkwardly laughed along, not fully understanding why. 

"So," He begun, standing face-to-face with the shorter boy. "What brings you to the woods, West? Not many people camp out here." 

"Erm," He muttered, intimidated by the other boy's curious gaze. "I was looking for the waterfall..”

"And found my hiding place instead?" He finished for him, gesturing towards the flat rock. 

Ezra nodded, shyly folding his clammy hands behind his back.

"And did you just happen to steal my bookmark along the way?" The raven-haired boy remarked. 

The feeling of guilt seeped back into the brunet. He knew it belonged to someone, that it was wrong to steal from someone richer than him, but he was desperate for validation from his parents.

But before Ezra could overwhelm them both with apologies, the tree boy just shook his head. 

"I'm not mad, relax. Just curious. Why'd you steal it?" He reassured him.

Ez peeked up at the other boy, just to make sure he wasn't angry. After seeing his calm face, Ezra let out a breath.

"Um, I saw that it had golden string, so I just thought that if I sold it-"

"Ahh, I see." He said. "Keep it."

"What?"

"You need it more than I do, so keep it." 

Ezra thought he was dreaming. If he was in Naara, they'd have already smashed the hand that touched the silk with a metal pole. But this boy was just letting him keep it? 

His emerald eyes twinkled in the sunlight. "Just don't lose it, yeah?"  
Ezrael felt like giving him a hug, but that'd be a stretch, so he clumsily bowed and muttered a thank you.

"No problem." He smiled. "Didn't you say you wanted to visit the waterfall?" 

'He has a nice smile.' Ez thought, before shaking his head. "I'm visiting again tomorrow, I have to be home soon.." 

"Mm yes. Tomorrow it is then. I'll be your personal tour guide." He joked, nudging Ez's shoulder. 

"Really?" Ezra blinked. He was being very nice to a boy who had just stolen from him.

"Yup. I've got nothing else better to do anyways." He casually shrugged.

“Oh." 

'I never got his name.' Ezrael thought.  
"What's your name?" 

The tanned boy cocked his head, he had never met such a ditzy kid before. "Did you not read the bookmark?" 

"O-oh, right." Ez's face flushed with shame. 

'Asta Kingston.' The brunet remembered. 

And from that moment onwards, he would never forget that name. 

No one would.


	2. •one•

-Present-

Ezrael awoke to the smell of smoke. 

It wasn't just a mild scent, the entire room was engulfed in grey fumes. 

The brunet, now being nineteen years old, immediately ran towards the raggedy wooden door, and twisted the rusted handle. He didn't even question as to why he was asleep on the floor, and not the bed. 

Now, Ezrael was expecting that it was some sort of cooking incident, but that would mean that the flames were orange.

These flames were bright green, and they were on their way their way to his room, barely giving him a chance to slip back into his room. 

He slammed the door shut and gripped the sheets, stuffing them in the gap between the door and the creaky floor.   
Ezrael held his breath for as long as he could, but he needed to get out of there before he was burned along with it.

There was no time to think, so instead of trying to pry the small window open, he lifted the wooden chair, and threw it towards the glass, ultimately smashing it into bits.   
His pale hands gripped the brown frame, ignoring the remaining shards of glass that were piercing into his palms, and lifted his leg over, praying that the jump wouldn't break his legs.

They didn't, but the throbbing feeling in his heels felt like it was worse than two broken legs.

Ezra looked at the burning home, slowly feeling the adrenaline rush slipping away, leaving him in utter shock.  
The house was already falling apart, and it was spreading to the other houses, showing no mercy to the townspeople. 

The markets, the gardens, the libraries, everything wasn't as it used to be.   
Although Naara wasn't much, it was still his home.   
And now it was nothing but broken glass and ashy wood.

Ezra was snapped back into reality when he heard the sound of a wailing child.   
His silver eyes scoured the sooty village until he found a small child stuck under a large branch, as if it had just fallen down on the child.  
The cries were so loud that he was sure everyone in the village could hear them.

Or, everyone that was left, at least.

Using whatever strength he had left, he hoisted the mossy log and shoved it to the side, letting the little girl grab onto his shoulders.

She seemed to be buried in soot, so much so that Ezrael couldn't make out who it was.   
The girl muttered a small 'thank you' as he searched for survivors. From his view, there weren't any.

'Shit.' He thought.

Although he dreaded going back to Dailah's castle, he didn't have much of a choice. Two years ago, it was pretty much his second home. Now all it did was bring back memories he swore to keep hidden. He could just go to a different village in Tairan, but he knew he'd be safe if he went back to Dailah.

Ezra gulped, feeling like he had a frog stuck in the back of his throat.

Ignoring the stinging feeling in both his palms and his eyes, he sprinted to the west, knowing that's where the bridge was. 

The little girl gripped his shoulders, making sure she wouldn't fall down. "Where is everyone?" Her voice was wobbly, as if she was about to cry again.

"I don't know." It's true. He couldn't tell the difference between the burning logs and the burning people.

"Am I going to die?" The girl said, but this time, she didn't sound sad. She sounded curious, like she was curious about death itself.   
It reminded him of when we was a little boy.

"No." Was all he said as he jogged towards the bridge, all while concentrating on keeping both him and the girl alive...

and in one piece.

-

The bridge itself was flooded with civilians, desperately trying to escape the monster that was the flames. 

Unfortunately, there weren't many.

Ezrael gestured towards the small crowd. "Do you recognize anyone there? Parents? Siblings?" 

The girl, wide-eyed and scared, inspected the crowd. "There! My sister!" She exclaimed, overjoyed with relief. 

Before Ezrael could even put her down properly, she darted towards her sister, leaving the brunet feeling proud of saving her, but also guilty for not being able to locate his parents in the crowd.

Yet somehow, the feeling of joy overcame that guilt.   
And he wasn't mad about it.

"Ezrael!" A feminine voice called, but not from the crowd.  
The feeling of confusion subdued when he recognized the owner of the voice. 

Lilith's signature ashy blonde bob drifted behind her as she scurried towards the scruffy boy, not caring about the ripped nightgown or her bare feet. 

She gave no warning as she engulfed Ezra into a bone-crushing hug, sighing in relief. Her tanned fingers seemed to be the only ones not covered in ash.

"I ran over as soon as I saw the smoke from my window, you have no idea how glad I am that you're okay." She whispered breathlessly, gripping onto him to make sure he wouldn't vanish again.

Ezrael clumsily returned the gesture, feeling a bit worried about her clothes getting even messier.

"My home." He babbled, unable to keep the wave of emotions at bay. "It's gone." 

Lilith let him go, but only to grip his hands as a way to make him pay attention. "I'm so sorry." Her voice was nurturing, as if she was consoling a child.

He mumbled nothing more, and let her walk with him towards the Dailahian castle, knowing full well of what was to come next.


	3. •two•

-Present-

The castle appeared to have had slight changes, but other than that, it was just as Ezrael could remember.

'The legendary waterfall' as he used to call it, was still there, but it was was rather dull. It connected to a large moat right in front of the castle, making sure that you knew exactly what you were getting into.

The grand Dailah castle had three main parts, the west building, the north, and the east.   
Each of them had a coating of silver-and-gold trim, to make it more visually appealing.  
The double-door gates had vines made of silver wrapped around them to keep outsiders from sneaking in, but when Lilith and Ezrael approached the intimidating gates, they welcomed them with bitter approval.

"Everyone's inside, sending their guards out to try and wipe out that horrid wildfire." The eldest princess reassured her oldest friend, making sure to keep her warm voice steady. 

Lilith had always been very empathetic, especially towards Ezrael.   
After all, he was her first true friend.  
The blonde's gaze turned towards the enclosed garden close to the gates.   
It seemed like the garden was the only thing that was full of life around here.

Johanna Kingston awaited them with anticipation near the west building. She wore no slippers and her daily makeup was removed for the night, revealing the heavy eye bags she bore on her pale skin.  
Even during her sleep, she wore her honey hair in a french twist, and had her nightgown specially made.

After almost two years of not visiting, Ezrael would've expected the queen to swiftly send him off, but she surprised him with a polite hug. 

"I haven't seen you since-" She shook her head, pulling away from the ash-covered boy she once considered her own son. "Never mind that. Are your parents okay? Safe?" 

Him and Lilith shared a swift glance, but only one of them was filled with pity. 

"I didn't see them in the crowd." It came out colder than he meant it to, but Johanna didn't seem to notice. Either that, or she just didn't regard the comment.  
She motioned towards the west building, where the quarters where located.  
-

Azariah was the first to greet them near the grand hallway.   
The second-oldest sibling had vastly changed in the past two years.   
His emerald eyes had dulled to the point where they almost looked grey, and his eye bags had sunken, showing obvious signs of stress.

Azariah had always been rather awkward at showing affection, so when he saw Ezrael for the first time, he merely gave him a sad smile.   
Rebecca, on the other hand, almost crushed his ribs with her infamous bear hug. 

She was around sixteen the last time he saw her, and she seemed to have grown a lot.   
Despite being the only sibling with brown eyes, it suited her raven hair well.

The second-youngest sibling said nothing more as she pulled away, nodding unhappily.   
Rebecca was never one for pity, in fact, she was rather harsh with her words. She much preferred actions over anything.

And lastly, Bernadetta. The youngest sibling hid behind Azariah, but not very well, since you could easily spot her red hair from a mile away.  
Her icy eyes peeked at Ezrael with curiosity, but did nothing more.

The queen cleared her throat. "Ezrael, you must be exhausted. Why don't we finish these greetings tomorrow?"   
They all had a suspicious feeling that she just wanted to go back to sleep, but shrugged it off.

"Your chambers are still here, we haven't changed anything.." The eldest princess trailed off.

Ezrael gulped, feeling sweat on his palms. "Oh..goodnight then."

"Wait!" Bernadetta yelled, and swiftly snatched his right arm. "I'm going with you." 

The brunet nodded, feeling grateful that he didn't have to go up alone.

-  
The walls became narrower as they approached the chambers. He recognized Kimora's chamber, as well as her brothers. Although they weren't apart of the royal family, they were considered their closest allies.

The closer they got to the top, the warmer it became. 

"So..how have you been?" 

'Ugh, way to go, Ezrael. You suck at small-talk.' He muttered at himself. 

The innocent redhead gazed up towards the taller boy. "I've been better, but I finished making that quilt I started on!" She smiled, revealing her upper cheek dimples.   
She knew he was still upset, so Bernadetta changed the subject, hoping it would distract him.

"Oh? Could I see?" 

She gave him a toothy grin. "Tomorrow! I'm really proud of it, my sewing skills have gotten better since last time you were here." 

"I'm sure they have." 

"Hey um.." Bernadetta mumbled. "Do you think he's ever going to come back?" 

'So much for subtlety.' Ezra thought. 

The boy sighed, not knowing how to respond. "I'm not sure, Bernie. It's been two years." He didn't know how to tell her that he is most likely dead.

When her face sunk, he immediately felt sorry. "But if he does come back, I know you'll be the first he hugs." Ez chuckled, almost inaudibly. 

She returned his comment with a tight-lipped smile, knowing it was true. Even though Asta and Azariah were twins, he'd always preferred Bernadetta and Lilith's company more. 

"He's boring." Was what Asta had said when Ezrael asked him why he didn't like to talk to him.

Although it was a bit rude, Ezra had to agree with him.

Bern nodded towards the carved door. "Goodnight, Ezrael. Don't let the bed bugs bite."

"No promises." He said, turning the door handle. 

The scent of old books wafted through his nose. Lilith was right, they hadn't changed a thing. 

It was bigger than the one he had at home. The walls were being covered by giant bookshelves, and the bed was fit for a king.

The candles and lanterns seemed to be drowning in dust and cobwebs, but he didn't seem to mind.   
Despite what had happened, he had missed this place.

After shaking the quilts of dust, his body fell onto the covers as if he was a corpse falling into a casket.

That night, he dreamt of nothing but darkness.


	4. •three•

-Present-

The dining hall was also exactly as Ezrael had remembered it to be. It seemed nothing had changed here.  
Johanna seemed to have a slight obsession with glass, as the dining table was made out of pure glass, as well as the plates, the statues in the corners, and even the chandelier.  
The chairs themselves weren't made of glass, but they were translucent, with each having some sort of fabric or pelt to cover it.  
The ceiling itself was a mirror, and each time you gazed up, you saw an eerie reflection staring down at you, mocking you.

In Ezrael's mind, the only non-frightening thing about the dining hall were the windows. They were painted glass, with symbols of vines and prickly thorns that had both golden and crimson roses tied in between them.

"This place still gives me the creeps." A familiar voice said, resting her cloaked arm atop his shoulders.

Unlike the others, Rebecca was quite the morning bird, despite her dark aesthetic. 

Her black hair was tied into a side-braid, with silver thread laced through. The long black lacy dress she wore had silver roses stitched at the bottom, as well as silver swirls at the arms. 

"Good morning, Becca." He mumbled, feeling self-conscious about his appearance. 

"Morning, Ez. Did you sleep well?" The second-youngest princess sat down at her seat, motioning for him to follow.  
He sat across from her, gazing up at the chandelier. 

"I suppose."

She tilted her head. "Are you feeling alright?, despite everything." 

Ezrael cleared his throat, feeling extremely hot.   
"Just a bit warm." He reassured, watching as the well-dressed servants set down glass plates of eggs and pancakes, replacing the empty ones. They filled up the pitchers with both red and white wine, along with iced water.

Before she could question his response, Lilith had entered the dining hall, wearing a navy robe.

"Ezra, Becca, good morning." She said with her usual airy voice.

The two siblings shared a sour look as Ez recalled they had a mutual disinterest in each other.   
Lilith was always polite about their little quarrels, or at least, she had a rather mature façade about it. He couldn't say the same about Rebecca, as she always spoke her mind, even if it hurt someone.   
Even as kids, they would fight about pointless topics, just to piss each other off.

Lilith gracefully sat down next to Ez, unconsciously re-wrapping her silk robe. "Father will be joining us for breakfast." 

"That's a first." Becca scoffed.

Ezrael frowned. "Can't say I missed him." As soon as the words slipped, he immediately regretted it, thinking it was too blunt.

The onyx-haired princess snorted, almost spilling her water. "Amen."   
Ezrael sighed with relief, chuckling at her expression.

Even Lilith stifled a chuckle. "I spoke with Johanna. She said you're more than welcome to stay for however long you'd like." He noticed her jaw stiffened when she spoke her mothers name, but said nothing of it. 

"Obviously. It'd be rude to kick him out after that." Rebecca chided, rolling her chocolate eyes. She licked her lips and stabbed a few pancakes with her silver fork, moving them over to her plate.

"Becca, manners." The eldest scolded. 

"Are we interrupting something?" The heir said, amusement oozing out of his voice. Azariah stood at the entrance, leaning against the doorway, along with Johanna and Bernie.

"Yes, now go away." 

"Rebecca!" 

"What?" Her voice was muffled, as it was stuffed with pancakes.

"Enough, you two." The Queen said, having Azariah and Bernadetta trail behind her. 

They all wore fancy clothing, with Bern wearing a green blouse and long blue pants, and Azah sporting a button-up white shirt, with long black pants.

Johanna sat at the edge of the table, being careful not to fold her golden dress.   
"Good morning, everyone." Her gloved fingers poured a glass of wine in the crystal glass, awaiting the two to take their seats.  
Bernadetta stole the seat next to Ezrael, grinning like she had a hanger wedged in her mouth. 

Azah took the seat next to Rebecca, carefully pouring himself a glass of water. 

"Your father will be a bit late today, as he is tracking down some..misfits." She sighed, sipping the red drink. 

"Misfits?" 

"There seem to be a rise from The Wastelands." 

"The Wastelands?" Ezra questioned. He hadn't heard of that place in a long time. Although it was apart of Dailah, the people there had created their own community, filled with outcasts and thieves.   
No wonder it had a high crime rate.

"Nothing we can't handle." Azah said, adding a pinch of salt onto his scrambled eggs. 

"These..outcasts are different. They seem to have no life, they don't even talk. They just..aimlessly walk about, looking to cause trouble." The Queen sucked in a sharp breath, giving a small, crooked smile. "Not to fret. We have other matters to attend to." 

"Yes." A heavy and rusty voice grumbled from the entrance. "We do." 

There he was. King Christofer. He had tan skin like his children, with dark brown eyes, black hair, and some black stubble.  
He was tall, and intimidating. Enough to make a grown man piss himself.

"We found Asta's body. He's dead." 

-Past-

Asta lightly rocked himself on the hammock, resting his arm behind his head. "Hey West, wanna go on a trip?" 

"Trip?" The boy questioned, adjusting the pillow on Asta's bay window, curling up on the plush sofa. "What kind of trip?" 

Asta, now being thirteen, was as mischievous as ever. Ever since Lilith denied the throne, Asta had become the heir, and he wasn't taking it very well.   
Despite being an independent person, he spent his time going on adventures with Ezra, although it was usually just him dragging the poor boy along.   
Ezrael didn't seem to mind being dragged along, luckily. He had a very imaginative mind, and loved seeing his dreams come true. 

"You ever heard of The Wastelands?"


	5. •four•

-Past-

"The what lands?" Ezrael's smokey eyes were drawn to the ink and quill on the fancy desk, and noticed that a couple drops of blue ink had spilled onto the paper.

The prince let out a chuckle. "Wastelands. I've heard it's nothing like you've ever seen before." 

"Do we have to go now? I'm comfortable..." Ezra drawled, stretching like a cat who had just woken up from its nap. "Aren't The Wastelands full of criminals?"

Asta rose up from the lilac hammock, and dragged Ezra up by the arm. "Those are just rumors, Ez. Or do you want to just sleep all day and do nothing?"

The brunet groaned. "I wouldn't mind that-" 

"Boring, we've been inside all week. Plus, I don't even think you've had a full conversation with anyone other than me." He gave a cheeky grin, while nudging his head towards the door. 

"That's not true-" 

"Keep telling yourself that." Asta teased with a smug smile.

Ever since Ezrael met Asta during his stroll through the woods, Asta had always been the one to tease him and banter with him, even if it was over nothing.   
When he first met Lilith, he had given her the title of "The most intimidating fifteen-year-old ever." Ezra was sure she'd never laughed in her life.

Luckily, Bernadetta weighed out the 'seriousness.' She was only ten, but she was so full of life that Lilith's hard exterior deteriorated when she was around. She had even chuckled a few times with her around.

Ezrael hadn't seen Azariah all that much, especially now since Asta has been neglecting his duties. Azah stepped in for him, knowing that Asta would rather drown than become king. Despite being royalty, Asta didn't seem to like it very much.  
Although he hadn't really talked with anyone other than Asta, he liked Rebecca's snarky attitude. She made dinner conversations much more interesting.

"Fine." Ez grumbled, puffing his cheeks. "Let's go then." 

Although he wasn't overjoyed to go, once he saw Asta's toothy grin, he knew it was worth it. 

'He has a nice smile.'  
Ezrael's cheeks were crimson red as he pushed those thoughts away. They were friends. Nothing more.

Asta tugged the black cloaks from the golden hook, throwing one over to Ezrael. "Don't get caught." He winked, not helping Ez's red face.

-

"I still can't ride a horse." The brunet huffed, failing to get the grey horse to move. 

Asta snorted. "It takes practice. Either that, or you just suck." 

"Thanks." 

They both stood outside the back gates. It was too risky to go through the main gates, as they were overflowing with watch guards. Asta had explained it wouldn't take too long to get there, but none of them were sure what "there" was. It had such a bad stigma surrounding it, and yet, Ez had never seen the boy so excited to go to such a dangerous place. How bored must one be to want to go to a place where they could die at any moment.

Alright, maybe Ez was being a bit dramatic.

After giving the grey horse a carrot, she finally begun to trot slowly. "Finally!" Ez exclaimed. If he had to wait any longer, he would've turn into a statue.

"Did you just bribe your horse?" Asta signaled for his black horse to begin moving. After catching up to the duo, he took in the forest's environment. The leafy trees seemed to be reaching out to the sky, as if they wanted to brush the clouds. His mind began to wander, thinking back to the time when he first met Ezrael. Asta couldn't believe that was already two years ago.

"..Maybe." Ez mumbled. "How did you even get past the guards to get out here?" 

"You'd be surprised at how dense those guards were." The prince chuckled. It's true, all he had to do was throw a rock the other way and they followed like dogs. 

As the two slowly made their way to The Wastelands, Ezrael's mind began to think properly, like gears after just being covered in oil.   
The Kingston's looked like a family, but Bernadetta had copper-colored hair, and she was paler than the rest. 

"Asta?" 

"Yes?" 

"Erm, why does Bernadetta look so different from the rest of you?" 

Asta's shoulders stiffened. "She has a different dad. Long story." He tried brushing it off, but Ezrael couldn't help his curiosity. 

"We have time."

The black-haired boy sighed. "One night, after my parents had gotten into the biggest fight i'd ever seen, my mom was so pissed that she left the castle altogether." Asta was only three at the time, so he had taken Lilith's word for it. 

"During her little walk, she ran into a charming merchant who was selling jewelry." He quickly ruffled his already messy hair, and adjusted his hand-made bracelet. "That night, she cheated on my father."

"Oh."

"Not only that, but once my father found out she wasn't his, he killed the merchant and stuck his head on a pike in front of the gates." 

"Oh."

The prince shook his head. "Never mind that. Besides, I think we're here." His horse stopped as he tilted his head to the left.  
Although there wasn't a distinct entrance, both of them could tell that it was nothing like the rest of Dailah.   
Asta dismounted his horse and tied him to a bushy tree, taking the grey horse along with. It was odd, he trusted the horses enough to not watch them constantly.

"Ready?" He said, amusement and excitement dripping from his voice. 

A swift nod from Ezrael was enough to make Asta drag him in.

-

The Wastelands was nothing like the two had ever seen before. All of the rumors and stigma surrounding it had made Ezrael wary, but once he saw how full of life the markets and bars were, he never wanted to leave.  
Sure, there were some suspicious people, but they were in the minority.   
The streets were filled with laughing children and the markets were filled with fresh goods, making Ez's stomach rumble. 

A bar by the name of "The Red Raven" had caught the boy's attention. It didn't seem run-down or dirty like everyone said, it looked as normal as the ones in Naara. 

"Now this is worth it." Asta said, taking in everything. "If I could, I'd live here." 

"Really?" Sure it was nice, but Asta had a castle. Not only that, but he was the heir to Dailah's throne. 

"Wouldn't you?" 

Ezrael pondered over it. Living here with Asta would be a dream come true...but he was the heir, and he had responsibilities.   
Not that Ezra would live with him, obviously. 

Ez huffed, desperately attempting to shake off the light feeling in his stomach. 

"Maybe, yeah."

Another wink. "I saw you eyeing The Red Raven, wanna check it out?" 

"Like, together?" 

"No." Asta deadpanned. "Obviously. I'm not leaving you alone out here, you'd probably get lost within fifteen minutes." 

"Hey!" Ez huffed. Taking Asta's hand, he entered the wooden doors, ignoring the boy's laughter. 

The Red Raven certainly lived up to its name. It had paintings of ravens covering the chipped red walls, along with what Ezra hoped to be beer stains near the corner.   
The bar was overflowing with people, making it hard to find a wooden table.   
Eventually, they snuck through the drunken crowd, and found a chipped table in the back. 

"Now this looks like fun." Asta remarked with a mischievous smile. 

A waitress carrying a tray of mugs filled with alcohol made her way over to us. 

"And what are two youngsters like yourselves doing in a place like this?" She spoke with an accent, but Ezrael couldn't tell which one. Her hair was the color of toffee that she had tied up in a messy bun, matching her tan skin.

Asta raised an unimpressed eyebrow, as if to say: 'Youngsters? Really?'

"Just exploring." The prince said, making sure to sounds friendly. He was always better at socializing than Ezra. 

"Exploring, huh? You're not from here, are you?" She tilted her head, analyzing the boys.

They both lightly shook their heads. 

"Well, I'd love to show you around, but we sorta have a full-house tonight," Her long-nailed finger tapped on the table. "But my son is available." 

The two boys shared a wary glance. How could someone be so nice when they'd only just met her? Was this a trick? 

"That's very kind of you, ma'am, but I'm afraid we have to get going soon." The black-haired boy said, grateful for the offer. 

"No worries," She said, standing up straight. "But if you ever visit again, come back here, and ask for my son. He'll help you." The waitress reassured. 

"What's his name?" 

"Kit Valentine."


	6. •interlude•

-???-

As the dark-haired prince strode across the plains of the southern city, he knew exactly what he needed to do.  
Although it had changed quite a lot over the past few years, he still recalled exactly where The Red Raven was.

Compared to the rest of the buildings, the small bar was chipped, murky, and downright unhygienic, and yet, he missed this place. A few of the paintings had been torn down, shredded into pieces to be scattered across the creaky floor.   
The actual bar itself only had one waiter, who was miserably pouring himself a glass of white wine. 

The man couldn't have been more than thirty, and yet here he was, drinking wine in an abandoned bar. 

How pathetic.

Asta smiled. "Excuse me, sir. I'm looking for a man."   
He walked closer to the man, being careful not to step on the smashed glass. It was rather tricky, as the whole floor was practically overflowing with pieces of glass.

"Well," The waiter began, downing the wine. "You won't find any here." 

"I'd have to disagree," He said, tracing the cracks in between the wood with his fingers. "I was told that if I ever returned here, all I needed to do was say the person's name, and he'd be here." He recalled, remembering the blonde waitress telling him the boy's name.

"And who's so miserable as to stay here, waiting for someone who may never come?" The man mumbled, pouring himself more wine. 

"You, perhaps." Asta said with a slight smirk, pulling a stray thread from his black cloak.

The man chuckled, but it wasn't one of laughter. It was full of sarcasm and hopelessness.

"You're a funny boy, you know that?" 

"I have been told such things, yes." 

"So," He said, finishing the last of the wine bottle. "Who's the lucky person?" 

Asta paused for a second. What was it again? 

Kat Lorington? 

Ket Addison?

Kit Valentine?

Ah yes, that's what it was. 

"Kit Valentine." The prince remarked, letting the hood of his cloak drop to his nape. 

He was never good with names.

For a moment, the waiter laughed. He laughed like he had just heard the wittiest joke he'd ever heard in his life. 

"You're joking, right?" He said, turning his voice back into his usual mocking tone.

"I'm afraid not." Asta said, a bit bewildered as to why he was laughing so hard.

"After Kit's mom died, the bar started running out of money." He mindlessly gazed at the shredded paintings. "After it shut down, he left this place, and moved somewhere else, somewhere safer." 

The prince hummed in an amusing tone. "You're a terrible liar, you know?" 

Silence. 

The man clenched his jaw, grinding his teeth together, feeling sure that he'd just broken his jawbone. He swore to to his mother that he'd keep Kit out of harm, so he came up with a lie that said Kit had left the country. Everyone believed it, and yet this man knew he was lying from the moment he opened his mouth. 

"I don't know what you're talking about." 

"Oh, I think you do." 

When the man didn't respond, Asta gave him another smug smile. 

"I'll say it once more. Where is Kit?" 

Before the man could respond, a small, meek voice replied, "Here." 

From in the storage room, a skinny, dimple-faced boy emerged. His blonde curly hair was unruly and messy, as if he hadn't brushed the knots out in weeks. His clothes were that of an commoner, with a loose blue shirt and long, tight pants. 

As soon as the waiter saw him, he immediately knew he had failed his mother. Without even knowing Asta, he knew he had an uneasy feeling bubbling at the pit of his stomach.

"Kit. There you are." 

The boy looked to be no older than eighteen, but his height and weight made him look much younger. 

He gave a shy nod, approaching the cloaked man.   
"What do you want?" 

Asta eyed the man with narrow eyes. "If we could, I'd prefer to speak alone." 

"Not in a million years." The waiter said defensively. 

"Alright then," He said with a click of his tongue. "I heard you knew where to find Moon Chaeyeong." 

Kit's pale brown eyes widened. He knew Chaeyeong? Who was this man? 

"Er," He stuttered. "I've only heard rumors-" A lie, but he couldn't risk getting Chae in trouble.

"Good enough for me." Asta reassured the boy, knowing that he was lying. "I've also heard you know how to find the master thief, Forrest Becker." 

If Kit wasn't shocked before, he certainly was now. Not even Forrest's closest allies knew his name. Kit only knew it through Chaeyeong, as she ran all the major bars and markets in The Wastelands. 

Kit blinked. "Why would I help you? I don't even know you." 

Asta sighed. He knew this was coming. 

"What if I told you I had a plan that could help the folk here? Set them free?" 

"Free from what? We're not prisoners here." 

"No," He tapped his finger on the wall. "But if you can't already tell, Dailah's royal guards are planning on raiding this place very soon." 

"What?" They both said.

For years, the King and Queen had left this place alone. Now, since there have been suspicious people entering and leaving The Wastelands who seem to be under some sort of spell, they decided to take matters into their own hands,

And Asta knew exactly what was happening.

"Oh, you didn't know? My mistake." 

Kit gulped. He could just be lying. He could just be messing with him.   
And yet, Kit recalled Chaeyeong preparing the citizens of The Wastelands for something, he just didn't know what.

Could it be this?

Only one way to find out.

"I'll help you."


	7. •five•

-Present-

The following day, the prince's funeral was held.   
With Naara being burned and finding out his best 'friend' had been burned to death, Ezrael had no love for fire.  
In fact, he was afraid.

Even when the guards lit the lanterns and torches, Ezra had become visibly uneasy. Not only had he developed a new phobia, but he was also severely ill.   
After breakfast, he had almost passed out from having a high fever.  
Correction: A very high fever.

The nurses themselves were astounded that he hadn't died from it. It was the worst fever they had ever seen, and yet Ezrael was still standing.  
Numb, but still standing.

Lilith had insisted that he rested, but he wouldn't miss Asta's funeral. Not ever.

Ezrael lazily glanced at everyone. It was a private ceremony, so only the royal family, the Campbell's, and Ezrael were allowed to attend.   
Unfortunately, Kimora and her brothers were not able to make it on time.

No one wore anything but black. The dark color reflected their somber expressions, only making the ceremony that much harder. 

"I look good in black." Asta had once said, while Ezrael had responded with, "You look good in any color."

Despite being right beside his siblings, their sobs and words felt so far away, it didn't feel real. None of this did.

Christofer, on the other hand, seemed very impatient. Instead of showing actual sympathy for his dead son, he had his usual monotone expression, with a tinge of annoyance. 

Soon enough, the burnt body was put six feet under, and that was it. Asta Kingston. The prince and heir to Dailah's throne, was now gone. The guards had buried him without having us look, and returned us to the gardens.

"Hey." A deep voice said, voice full of melancholy. "He really liked you, did you know that?" Azariah's dark brown hair was slicked back, making the eye bags more noticeable. 

"What?" 

Ez could still see a few dry tears on his cheeks. "He didn't really like to spend much time with me, but when he was with you, he was a whole different person." The prince shifted uncomfortably in the tux, pulling the tie by the collar.

Ezra's grey eyes became even darker. "What do you mean?" 

He gave a sad smile. Although Asta and Azah were twins, they weren't identical. In fact, they get mistaken for brothers all the time.

Well, they used to.

"I can't speak for him, but you seemed to make him happy, just by the sound of your voice." Azah cocked his head. "What was your secret?" 

The brunet slipped back into his own daydreaming world. "I tend to daydream a lot, and whenever I would, he would always ask me what I came up with. Sometimes, I used to come up with stories inside my head, and he loved to hear them-"

"That's enough." Christofer seethed, walking in front of the two boys. "I do not want to hear about him any longer." 

"Oh, now you don't want to hear about him?" Azariah mumbled, blush creeping up his tan cheeks from rage. Ezrael didn't know where this sudden burst of energy was coming from. Azariah had always been the sophisticated and collected sibling, but now Azah couldn't care less. "Two years ago, you couldn't care less. Now all of the sudden you want to act like a decent father?" He spat, pushing Ezrael's hand away.

"Azariah!" 

Christofer halted, and twisted his head to his son, eyes filled with fire. "Watch your tongue, boy. Or I'll stick it on a spike."

"Like you did with Bern's dad?" Azah scoffed, turning his usual calm features into a harsh scowl. "Not very original, if you ask me." 

Christofer narrowed his dark eyes, but the prince held his glare. "Would you prefer your eyes instead?"

"Threatening me won't change my point. You hadn't cared about either of us since the day we were born, and now you decide to flip the switch? Bullshit." The future king mocked the current king. 

Lilith had taken Ezrael's hand, and pulled him back from the quarrel. "Stay out of it." She whispered to Ez fiercely, whilst glaring at her father. 

Luckily, before the king ended up with another dead son, Johanna pulled Christofer back, gripping onto his sleeves desperately. Her cheeks were dried with tears while her eyes were bloodshot. 

"Children, please. Go back to your rooms, I will not have my family fight at my son's funeral." The Queen said with visible exhaustion, and dragged the King back to their chambers without another word. 

Azariah stormed off as well, taking both Lilith and Bernadetta with him, leaving only Rebecca and him left. 

"I'm not in the mood to go back, wanna take a walk through the forest?" The black-haired princess huffed, nodded her head past the gates. Despite having balls of steel, Ezrael knew that if she had to return, she would break down completely, so he agreed. 

The silence that passed between them was heavy with burden and loss. None of them spoke, but they just admired the trees, how they would reach for the stars, and how the flowers would grow to curl around each other.   
It looked magical, to say the least. 

The mushrooms looked like they were encased with magic, while the moths and blue butterflies swirled around the stones, waiting for a gust of wind to carry them away.

A sudden tap on Ezrael's shoulder made the both of them turn around, only to find a well-dressed woman looking up at him with curious eyes.   
She had shiny chestnut hair reaching her chest that was on top of a loose white blouse with a black ribbon tying it together, along with black sailor miniskirt that had stretchy black stockings under it. It wasn't her outfit that caught Ez's attention, it was her black horn-rimmed glasses that made the small beauty mark under her right eye stand out more. 

The woman smiled, having her hazel eyes crinkle. "My apologies for intruding, but have you seen or heard of a woman by the name of Kelani Smith? I was told she enjoyed lurking in the forests." Her voice was slightly shaky, but melodic nonetheless. 

The two shared an odd glance. "No," Rebecca responded. "My apologies, miss...?" 

"Chaeyeong. Moon Chaeyeong."


	8. •six•

-Present-

Despite his protests, he felt the maid dry his cocoa hair with a cotton towel.   
She was jumpy and silent, only talking when she was talked to first.

He found himself feeling shy when she unbuttoned his shirt, replacing it with a newer, fancier white-and-gold one. The maid's tan fingers were swift, tucking away any stray hair or lint.

Despite his awkward attempts at a conversation, she made it clear she was only there to dress Ezrael for dinner.

After an odd interaction with that girl, Chaeyeong, she briefly left back to wherever she came from, claiming she had to "find Kelani."   
The two returned from their walk, only to be harassed by the guards for leaving the castle without telling anyone.

The skinny maid bowed and scurried away back to the rest of the maids.

Ezrael paused. Christofer planned Azariah's coronation to be in two days.

Two days.

What kind of sicko plans a coronation the day of his son's funeral?

A knock on the engraved door shook him out of his thoughts.   
The door opened, revealing a fashionable Azariah.  
Although his eye bags were hidden, Ezra could still see his tired green eyes were full of genuine sadness. 

"Hey." He slipped through the door. "Are you feeling better? I mean, with the whole fever-thing.."

Ez gave a quick nod. "I've been thinking-"

"About?" 

"Asta." 

He gulped. "Understandable." 

"Why? Why did he leave? Who took him? I don't understand-"

Azah gripped Ezrael's hands, bringing him into a massive hug. He smelt of warm cookies, and Ezra found that oddly soothing.

"I don't think someone kidnapped him, Ez."

"What?"

He tightened his grip on the brown-haired boy. "I think he left on his own."

-Past-

The moonlight shone through the painted glass, bringing attention to the royal family.   
Even from a mile away, you could easily tell that they were royalty.  
Ezrael knew that you'd be a fool not to shiver beneath their gaze.

"Well," The queen began, angling herself so that the golden swirls on her pearly dress stood out. "I welcome you all, citizens of Daliah, to your prince's coronation!" Her bony fingers lifted the glass of white wine up in the air, as a toast.

The crowd cheered, each lifting their expensive glass to the future king.  
While everyone wore the most fashionable thing that came out of their wardrobe, it was nothing compared to the attire that The Kingston's wore.  
The chandelier that hung from above our heads was worth more than all of our fortunes combined, and yet, it still felt empty. 

Queen Johanna motioned for the pianist to begin, lightly swaying her hands. Suitors were lined up at the sides, in case there were folk without a partner. Even they wore golden uniforms.

Lilith, being the eldest sibling in the family, paired up with the son of a rich nobleman, carefully eyeing her father to seek his approval. She strode down the glass steps as her partner trailed behind her, tiptoeing to avoid her gown.   
As she reached the end, she gave a subtle wink to him, as if to say 'I know who you'll be dancing with tonight.

That's the thing. Traditionally, the prince would stay backstage, awaiting and rehearsing what he'll do when his father places the golden crown atop his scruffy hair. Instead, Asta was walking down the stairs with his twin brother, Azariah. And behind them, were Christofer, Rebecca, and Bernadetta. His entire persona was off. The crooked smile he gave to the crowd was nothing like the ones he'd given Ezrael.

Even with them being siblings, they couldn't be more different. Their suits were opposite colors, Asta's being white with a gold trim, and Azah's being black with a silver trim. Along with that, their demeanor was flip-flopped. Usually, Azah was the mature one while Asta was the troublemaker, this time, Asta couldn't look more grim even if he tried. 

A few praises and salutes were exchanged between the prince and the commoners, but even then, Asta's face was humorless.

You'd think a prince would be overjoyed to become king. 

A gentle tap on his shoulder caused him to turn around.

Lilith stood there, with a white and gold gown that stood out against her tan skin and ashy blonde hair.  
The neckline was trimmed with golden icicle-like shapes that dripped golden tears onto the slightly puffy length. 

"You've cleaned up nicely, Ezra. That suit looks good on you." She gave a warm smile, crinkling her black-lined eyes. 

"It's kinda scratchy, I miss my sweaters." 

Lilith let out a chuckle through her painted lips.   
"I agree, though I suppose wearing a sweater to a coronation isn't the most socially-acceptable." 

"Fair enough." 

She raised an arched eyebrow. "Would you like to dance, Ezrael West?" 

"What happened to your partner?" 

She gave a wicked smirk. "It's my revenge for Rebecca. She called me an old hag while Kimora was over, so I made Johanna switch her partner to that stuffy noble." Lilith led me over to ballroom floor, where there was space. 

"I don't think Becca will be very happy about that-" He said, wrapping his arm around her waist, a bit nervous about ruining her dress. Nonetheless, Lilith helped guide Ezrael though the dance moves.

"Hah, none of us are fans of self-righteous men in suits." She grins, feeling less uptight now that she was away from them, and with someone familiar.

He, too felt less skittish now that he was away from the massive crowd, and with a friend.   
Ezrael was never a fan of parties, let alone coronations.

His smoky eyes met Asta's, and he saw his shoulders visibly relax, but they were still as tense as a statue. He was near the back of the ballroom, towards the massive double doors. Asta seemed to be busy trying to convince some girls that he'll dance with all of them, and Ezrael audibly chuckled. The prince noticed that, and gave him a wicked grin, similar to a cat about to devour its prey.

Asta was really only attracted to humble people who knew their own strengths, not pompous nobles flaunting their wealth.  
In fact, he seemed to be extremely uncomfortable.

Luckily, Christofer tapped a butter knife against the crystal glass, catching everyone's attention. When it didn't work for the first time, he cleared his throat, and smiled lightly when everyone turned to him.

"Today we gather you all here to see your prince become your king." The King said, raising his glass to Asta, only to have his brows furrow in confusion.  
Heads began to twist and turn, searching for the tan boy, only to chatter amongst themselves when they couldn't find him.

Lilith frowned, standing on her toes to search the crowd.

He was gone. 

One minute ago, he was talking to those girls, and now those girls looked more confused than ever. 

It was only when Ezrael looked closely at the double doors that he noticed it was open a crack.   
Not enough for someone to slip in, but enough for someone to slip out.


	9. •seven•

-Present-

"Ezrael, I'm sorry, but he's dead. Why does it matter if he ran away?" Johanna said as she signed her signature on a document. 

"You're kidding, right?" The eldest princess narrowed her eyes at her mother, feeling even angrier when she ignored her.

"Look, what do you want me to say?" She set down the pen and focused her attention to the two young adults. "Azariah's coronation is tomorrow, he doesn't need to worry about such things. It's a distraction." 

The boy remembered how much of a nuisance the king and queen were back then, and they hadn't changed.  
When Asta had first taken Ezrael to the castle, they immediately disapproved, and sent Es back to his parents.  
Unfortunately, his parents weren't any better.

Sure, they were kind, at least when they wanted to be. Most of the time they seemed to just...forget about Ezrael. A few times, they didn't even know he was gone.  
Eventually, Asta began to sneak Ezrael in through the back gates, and the king and queen grew tired of sending him back, so they let him stay.  
They weren't very nice about it, though.

"A distraction?" Lilith seethed, crossing her clothed arms. "You called off Asta's search party not even a week after his disappearance, and you think this is a distraction?" 

Queen Johanna sighed deeply. "The Campbells will be present during the coronation. I have assigned Kimora to be Azariah's partner for the night, while yours will be Jerome." She said, turning her attention back to the stack of documents. 

"Jerome?!" Lilith exclaimed with wide eyes. "What about Ramsey? Isn't he free?"

"I have assigned him with Bernadetta." 

"Of course you did." She scoffed, nudging Ez's side. "I suppose that means you'll be with Becca. Good luck, you're gonna need it."

Ezrael gave a quick nod. He didn't know Jerome very well, but he knew that Kimora and Ramsey were trustworthy people.   
When he had first met Ramsey, he didn't think he was related to the others. Jerome and Kimora were so outgoing and lively that when he saw how soft-spoken and reserved Ramsey was, Ezra thought he had to have been adopted.  
Turns out, he was right.

-Past-

Ezrael was exhausted from a sleepless night back in Naara.   
His bed was stuffed with loose feathers supported by a squeaky frame, and compared to Asta's, it was trash. 

Bernadetta, who the young boy had become close to, had persuaded both Asta and Ezrael to attend a 'Welcome Home' ball for the Campbell's.   
Cassandra had fallen extremely ill, so her children had to take her to the great library, Lor'kai where they had diviners and diviners-in-training. 

At first, Ezrael had never heard of such a place, let alone what a diviner was, but after reading many books and asking Lilith, he learned that a diviner was taught healing magic. 

According to Lilith, healing magic was the last kind of magic that survived in the great Krecian war hundreds of years ago.  
There were other types, like black magic, but everyone who knew it had either died or refused to teach anyone. 

After they had gotten help from the diviners, they came back to the royal castle.   
Even though they'd only been gone a month, Queen Johanna insisted that there be a ball to celebrate Cassandra's health.

It was only after having been dressed up by the maids that Ezra actually wanted to go. 

Cassandra, who wore a long magenta dress, looked younger than what Ezrael had imagined. She had her black hair tied into a braided bun, along with white-lined eyes to compliment her dark skin.

Next to her seemed to be Kimora. She wore a tight yellow dress with black heels, and had her hair in a ringlet-filled afro. She also had yellow glitter on her cheekbones. Overall, she reminded Ezra of a bumblebee. 

He wasn't sure of the shorter boy standing beside Kimora. He was pale as a ghost, with wavy black hair and icy eyes. He had a dark blue tuxedo on, and he looked to be a few years younger than Ez.

Johanna was the first to greet them. "Cassandra! You look remarkable!" She said, gently taking her friend's hands. "How was the trip?" 

Asta fiddled with Ezrael's small knitted bracelet out of boredom, twisting his hand to his will. Sure, he liked them, but he didn't get why his mother needed to throw a whole party for their return.

"It was lovely, though it did cost quite a bit. The girl who helped me...I believe her name was Larcei." Her voice was soothing, warm, like an old lady's. 

"I'm not surprised, the diviner's do their job well, but with a high cost." Johanna remarked, nodding towards Kimora. "My dear, you look amazing tonight," She turned to Ramsey. "And you look very handsome, Ramsey." 

The shorter boy's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Thank you, my Queen." 

Asta pulled Ezrael closer, enough to whisper. "If you're wondering, Ramsey was abandoned as a baby, and they took him in." Ezrael saw Ramsey's icy eyes flicker to his with curiosity.

Kimora gave a blinding smile, turning their attention to her. "Well, enough with the boring stuff, shall we dance?" She looked around the large ballroom, searching for someone.   
Johanna noticed, and smiled knowingly. "Azariah will be down shortly. Speaking of, where is Jerome?" 

"He wasn't feeling too well after the trip, so he's resting." Cassandra said with a small frown, but smiled again when Johanna took her arm, leading her away from the ballroom and towards the tables. 

Even in the ballroom, the tables were still made of clear glass, mirroring the mighty chandelier. 

As soon as they were out of their field of vision, Kimora stepped closer to the two boys, surprising the both of them by enveloping the younger boy in a tight hug. 

"I've heard so much about you! Sir Ezrael West, conquering the royal family's hearts one at a time!" Kimora remarked, giggling like a giddy child. "All right, that might be a bit dramatic." 

Asta scoffed amusingly. "A bit?"

She gave a hearty laugh. "Anyways, I'm gonna hunt down your twin." Kimora remarked with a wave, setting off to bombard Azariah with hugs.

Ramsey blushed when he realized he was alone with a prince and his 'friend.' Without a word, he scurried off to be alone.

The prince turned to Ez with a smirk. "Wanna ditch?" 

"W-what?" Ezra stuttered. 

"Ditch. As in, go back to that shady bar in The Wastelands." Asta grinned, showing off his shiny teeth. 

"Isn't that..illegal?" 

"Technically, no." 

"But-"

"Asta." A deep voice grumbled, staring down at the two boys. Christofer.

"What?" He replied, narrowing his eyes at his father.

"I have heard reports of you and your friend visiting The Wastelands." The King said with a harsh tone, eyes glaring. 

"And?" 

"Don't give me attitude, boy. If you weren't my son, I'd have your head right now." 

"Well, it's a good thing I am." He said with a mocking grin, only angering the King even more.

Christofer gritted his teeth. "If I see either of you near that retched place, you will be confined to your quarters. And for you, West, you won't be allowed to visit anymore." He said with his usual monotone voice, giving a blank stare. 

With an angry scowl, Asta dragged Ezrael by the arm away from his father towards the actual dancing area.

"Do you know how to dance?" 

Ezra's cheeks flushed with shame. "No."

A cheeky grin. "Relax, follow my lead." 

So he did.


	10. •interlude•

-???-

As Moon Chaeyeong viewed the once demolished bar, she felt uneasy.   
Sure, she knew this would help the Wastelanders, but she still had an odd feeling.

After all, the people here trusted her, and here she was, about to speak to a runaway prince.

A bead of sweat ran down her temple, dropping to the grass.

Her feet felt heavy as they trudged through the door, having the bells set off at her arrival.   
Inside, it was certainly different that she had remembered it to be.

Instead of shattered glass covering the floors like a makeshift rug, everything had been swept, leaving no cobwebs.   
The paintings that had been ripped up had been replaced by similar ones.

Even the bar was different, this time being filled with many different types of wine and ale, some having intricate bottles.

Over to the middle were a group of people, and Chae recognized one of them to be Asta, the missing prince.  
His black hair tied with bright green eyes were hard to miss.

Not only that, but Chae caught the eye of a girl with what looked like to be rose gold hair, and Chae furrowed her brows. She had never seen anyone with such a...bold hair color. Across from her was a young woman with short white hair, and a long red scarf.

As soon as the prince noticed her, he gave a mischievous smile.   
"Well well, I'm surprised you even came." 

"...As am I." 

He stood up from his relaxed position, and Chae noticed his black cloak was on the chair.   
"Have you thought about my offer?"

The girl with the bright hair gazed up at Chae through half-lidded eyes. Her long legs were crossed on top of the round wooden table, and her arms were crossed over her chest. 

Chaeyeong shifted her weight to her other leg, nervously crossing her arms. "I accept." 

His chin tilted up, as if he was satisfied by her answer. "Good. We'll be leaving tonight, since the event is tomorrow." 

The white-haired girl kept her face blank as the other girl narrowed her eyes at Chae. "You sure you're up for this, Chaeyeong?" 

"And who are you?" 

Asta waved his hands. "My mistake. Chaeyeong, this is Hana Zhou," He gestured to the girl with the rose gold hair. "And this is Kelani Smith," Asta nodded to the girl with the messy white hair. 

Chae's eyes widened as she came to a sudden realization. "Kelani." She breathed. Chaeyeong had been all over Dailah in search of this girl, and here she was, sitting next to Asta. Long ago, back when Kelani was Asta's maid, Chaeyeong and Kelani used to be the greatest of friends.   
Then, after her sister was falsely accused of stealing and executed by the king, she disappeared.   
After nearly two years of searching, Chae had found her.

Her dull honey eyes were like bitter tea as she peered at Chae. Her resting face revealed nothing of what she was thinking. 

"I thought you were dead." The brown-haired woman said with a harsh scowl. 

Kelani remained silent as she stood up and walked towards the woman.   
Chaeyeong was full of confusion as Kelani wrapped her arms around her with a monotone expression. 

"Oh? Didn't you know?" Asta said. "She got into an accident, she's partly deaf now." 

Chaeyeong let out a shaky breath and returned Kelani's apology with a harsh squeeze. "Can she hear me?" 

"Probably not."

Without a word, Chae closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment while it lasted. 

Kelani broke away and wrapped her golden fingers around her red scarf and wrapped it around Chaeyeong's neck.   
Before Chae could question why, Kelani had already left The Red Raven.

Hana rolled her head, invoking a crack in her neck. "Did Forrest already leave?" She stood up as well, showing Chaeyeong her full outfit.  
If Chae thought her hair was the only bold thing about her, she was quite wrong.

The tank top she wore on top of her black bra reminded Chae of fishnets, just as a top. Not only that, but she also had high-wasted button-up shorts, along with knee-high boots.  
Her hair was also mid-neck length with half of it up in two space buns.

How she wasn't cold was a shock to Chae.

"Yup, he's out with Kit, setting up the horses." 

"You're bringing Kit on the trip?" The business woman seethed. He wasn't prepared for the horrors he was about to face, and Chaeyeong felt like she needed to protect him, even though he joined Asta willingly. 

"He wanted to." He defended, wrapping an arm around Chae's shoulders, having the two walk out of the bar. Hana followed shortly behind. 

"If this fails, I'll kill you myself." She said with a glare. She had only agreed to his proposition to help the people of The Wastelands get what they deserved, and if that meant teaming up with a cocky runaway prince, then so be it. 

"It won't." 

"You'd better hope so." 

-

As Asta saw Kit helping his crew get on the horses, he suddenly felt a cold chill run through him, sending goosebumps along his tan skin.

"It seems you did follow my orders." A woman said next to him.   
He knew who it was. She only visited him when the rest of them weren't here. 

"I don't disappoint, Larcei." He mumbled, keeping his gaze focused on his friends. 

"I know." She said with her usual eerie tone, and looked at him with her glowing purple eyes. "As long as you carry out this plan-"

"Yea yea." He interrupted. "I got it." 

She smiled, and leaned closer, as if she was expecting a kiss. 

Before she could touch him, Asta backed away. 

"Like I said, Larcei. I have someone else in mind."


End file.
